Wide bandwidth microwave balun

ABSTRACT

A wide bandwidth microwave balun utilizes frequency band splitting and two conventional baluns operating in a high frequency band and a low frequency band, which when combined offer a full bandwidth output, thus to offer wide bandwidth impedance matching and second-harmonic rejection.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 11/715,705 filedMar. 8, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,557,673 entitled Wide BandwidthMicrowave Balun, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST

This invention was made with United States Government support under aclassified contract. The United States Government has certain rights inthis invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to microwave and RF circuits and moreparticularly to baluns used in such circuits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An essential component in many microwave and RF circuits is the balancedto unbalanced transformer or balun. Balun applications include balancedmixers, multipliers, and amplifiers for cancellation of even orderintermodulation products, power amplifiers for push-pull powercombining, and for the connection of naturally balanced antennastructures to unbalanced microwave components.

Low frequency baluns leverage ferrite and air coil transformertechnology to achieve high performance and very broad bandwidth.However, at microwave frequencies it becomes increasingly difficult tofabricate this class of balun and other techniques become necessary.Miniaturization of the balun to a size and planar form compatible withmonolithic microwave integrated circuit, MMIC, fabrication furthercomplicates the design and implementation of the balun.

Due to the unavailability of ferrite technology to provide for ultrawidebandwidth baluns, there is a need to provide other types of technologyto achieve a 10:1 frequency bandwidth such as between 2 Gigahertz and 20Gigahertz. Uses for such wide bandwidth baluns include microwavesurveillance applications where wideband frequency coverage is requiredto be able to detect the large variety of signals that pop up, as wellas to provide interface circuitry for wideband digital signals andwideband antenna structures.

In general, in the basic operation of a balun, balanced signals thatcome out of the balun from an unbalanced line input are equal inamplitude and 180 degrees opposite in phase. Thus, for instance, signalsthat come in on an unbalanced 50-Ohm line may be converted to signalsapplied to a balanced 300-Ohm line.

One of the main purposes of baluns other than for impedance matching isfor the cancellation of second-order distortion of which secondharmonics is a part. As such, such baluns can be used for balancedmixers so that when a signal comes into the single-ended input of themixer, it comes out split into a different kind of signal.

The balun can be used with differential amplifiers or pairs ofamplifiers that connect to an antenna, with the balun being used forcombining the output of the differential amplifier so that it does notlose half of its power into a termination.

While it is known to cancel second-order distortion in the front ends ofamplifiers and to do so in the microwave region of the electromagneticspectrum, the problem is that in an amplifier, to cancel secondharmonics the balun has to be operating from the lowest input frequencyto twice the highest output frequency. Thus, if one has an amplifierthat operates for instance between 1 and 5 Gigahertz, the balun wouldhave to operate between 1 to 10 Gigahertz to cancel the secondharmonics.

Note that harmonics and other non-linearities in an amplifier createdistortion in which harmonics constitute one form of distortion. Otherforms of distortion can be intermodulation products, and the mixing oftwo signals that creates spurious tones at the sum and differencefrequencies. These are all second-order products that need to becanceled. The cancellation of spurious tones using second harmoniccancellation is the operating province of balanced mixers that help tocancel these tones.

Moreover, it is noted that in a receiver, a receiver would have to beable to deal with every single spurious tone that would appear at theoutput of its pre-amplifier. It is noted that in an amplifier ofbandwidth greater than an octave, the highest-power distortion tones areusually the second order tones

The effect of such distortion can be seen as follows. If one isoperating near a radio station and one happens to be listening to aweaker station further away, the presence of the large signal from thenearby radio station can create spurious tones due to theabove-mentioned non-linearities in an amplifier. This makes it virtuallyimpossible or very difficult to receive the signal that one isinterested in with good fidelity.

Priorly, in order to reduce the second-order distortion, a brute-forceapproach has been employed. By increasing the power handling capabilityof the amplifier, it becomes more linear for a given signal level. Thus,second-order distortions were kept to a minimum by increasing the powerhandling capability of the amplifier and operating it at reduced inputsignal levels.

However, this is not an acceptable approach, especially in cases whereone wants to use battery-powered devices or if one wishes to have anumber of these amplifiers located in a small space, such as in a phasedarray.

While the technique of using a balun for second-order distortioncancellation is a known technique, there has been no ability to applythe balun to the kinds of frequency bandwidths that are required insignal intelligence applications because baluns do not typically have a10:1 bandwidth ratio in the microwave region of the spectrum.

While it is possible in the HF region of the electromagnetic spectrum tobroaden the bandwidth of the balun through the use of ferrites, normalferrites do not work at microwave frequencies. While in the pastmicrowave ferrites have been developed, they do not operate with a lowenough loss to achieve the required bandwidths.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In order to provide a microwave balun with a 10:1 bandwidth, in thesubject invention one divides the incoming signal into high frequencyand low frequency bands. One then utilizes two different baluns, onewith a low frequency band output and one with a high frequency bandoutput, with the outputs of these two baluns being combined to give afull bandwidth signal.

As a result, when the outputs are combined, one has retained the balunfunctionality over effectively twice the geometric bandwidth i.e., overthe combined bandwidth of the constituent baluns.

In one embodiment, two baluns and three diplexers are utilized. Thediplexer functions as a filter device that has one input and twooutputs. A signal coming into a diplexer at all the frequencies abovethe center frequencies will go out one path; and all frequencies belowthe center frequency will go out another path. Thus one is able to splitan incoming signal into a high frequency band and a low frequency bandutilizing a diplexer.

Having split the incoming signal into two frequency bands, one high andone low, the low frequency band is fed to a low frequency balun and thehigh frequency band is coupled to a high frequency balun. Thereafter,diplexer filters are used to combine the signals from the two baluns atthe output for the full bandwidth response.

Note that the balun is a passive circuit that operates in eitherdirection such that one can go from a balanced input to an unbalancedinput and vice versa.

In operation, the desired amplified signals at the balanced outputs ofthe amplifier are equal in amplitude are 180 degrees out of phase. Incontrast, unwanted or spurious signals, such as second orderintermodulation distortion signals, are approximately in phase at thebalanced output ports of the amplifier. Since the intermodulationdistortion signals are in phase on both output ports of the amplifier,ideally no current flows in the balun responsive to these signals. Inthis way, the balun effectively suppresses or eliminates these signalsto thereby provide a high level of rejection of the second orderintermodulation distortion signals.

The net result is that by using a wide bandwidth microwave balun at anappropriate point in a circuit, second-order distortions can becanceled. In the subject invention the second-order distortion over a10:1 frequency range, for instance between 2 Gigahertz and 20 Gigahertzcan be canceled.

In summary, a wide bandwidth microwave balun utilizes frequency bandsplitting and two conventional baluns operating in a high frequency bandand a low frequency band, which when combined offer a full bandwidthoutput, thus to offer wide bandwidth impedance matching andsecond-harmonic rejection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the subject invention will be betterunderstood in connection with the Detailed Description, in conjunctionwith the Drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a simple conventional balun using coupledlines in which the bandwidth for this circuit is approximately 1 octavecentered on the quarter-wave frequency of the coupled lines;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a compensated conventional Marchand balunhaving a bandwidth approaching 4:1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show respectively a balanced-to-unbalanced configurationutilizing the subject balanced diplexer bal-plex balun, and anunbalanced-to-balanced configuration;

FIG. 4A is a block diagram of the bal-plex balun of FIG. 3A, showing theuse of a pair of diplexers for separating the high and low bandwidthcomponents of a balanced input that are coupled to respective high andlow frequency band baluns, the outputs of which combine into one fullbandwidth signal with second-order distortions canceled;

FIG. 4B is a block diagram of the bal-plex balun of FIG. 3B, indicatingan unbalanced input separated out into two different frequency bandsapplied to a low frequency band balun and high frequency band balunrespectively, with the outputs combined by a pair of diplexers into abalanced output, full bandwidth signal;

FIG. 5 is a graph of the amplitude response of the upper and lowerfrequency band baluns of FIG. 4B, showing a relatively smooth responsefor the upper frequency band balun but a characteristic for the lowerfrequency band balun in which there is an out-of-band response;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a diplexer for use as the inputdiplexer in the FIG. 4B bal-plex balun;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a simplified circuit for the FIG. 4Bbal-plex balun in which the diplexers have been replaced with equivalentfilter elements;

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the bal-plex amplitude response versusfrequency, showing the outputs of the high and low frequency band balunsto be substantially uniform over the frequency range of interest;

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the bal-plex phase for the high frequency andlow frequency band baluns, indicating the 180-degree phase relationshipbetween the outputs of the two baluns; and,

FIG. 10 is a microphotograph of a MMIC implementation of the subjectbalun corresponding to the schematic diagram of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, the design of the subject bal-plex balun beginswith the design of the individual upper and lower band baluns. It isnoted that the frequency bands must overlap enough to allow a smoothtransition and a smooth frequency response, but not so much as to losethe frequency response at the highest and lowest frequencies.

Referring now to FIG. 1, one type of simple conventional balun usescoupled lines 1 and 2. The bandwidth for this circuit is approximatelyone octave centered on the quarter-wave frequency of the coupled lines.Note that as will be described later, the input to the balun isunbalanced across terminals 16 and 19, with terminal 19 grounded,whereas the balanced output is available across terminals 17 and 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, a compensated balun is shown whose architecture isused for the low frequency band balun of the subject invention. Thiscompensated balun is illustrated as having coupled lines 3 and 4 andcoupled lines 5 and 6. Here the unbalanced input is between inputterminals 7 and 8, with terminal 8 grounded, to lines 5 and 6. Thebalanced output is available at terminals 9 and 10. It is noted thatline 4 is coupled to line 5 at 13, with line 4 being open circuitterminated as illustrated at 14. While line 6 is grounded at terminal 8,line 3 is terminated at 14.

The balun bandwidth for the FIG. 2 circuit approaches 4:1 and is amember of the class of compensated baluns described by H. G. Oltman,Jr., “The Compensated Balun,” IEEE Transactions In Microwave Theory andTechniques, MTT-14, pp. 112-119, 1966. One this type of compensatedbalun is the well-known Marchand balun. It is this balun configurationthat in a spiral coupled line balun configuration establishes a lowfrequency band balun, and in an ordinary configuration establishes thehigh frequency band balun.

Referring to FIG. 3A, it is possible to achieve a full bandwidthunbalanced output that cancels second-order distortions from anunbalanced input using the subject balun, here called a bal-plex balun20. In this embodiment the bal-plex balun is fed by a balanced input onlines 21 and 22 from a differential amplifier 23 having a balanced inputfrom for instance an antenna 24. Here the unbalanced output of thebal-plex balun is shown at 26.

Alternatively, the balanced input for the bal-plex balun 20 can beachieved by coupling the output of a balun 28 supplied with anunbalanced input 29 to the differential amplifier inputs.

Alternatively as illustrated in FIG. 3B, an unbalanced input 30 may becoupled to the input of the subject bal-plex balun 20 to provide abalanced output 32 for connection to the inputs of a balanced amplifier,differential circuit, or broad band antenna.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, having a balanced input at 23, the highfrequency and low frequency bands are separated using diplexers 34 and36, each of which divide up the incoming signal into a low frequencyband component 38 and a high frequency band component 40.

As can be seen, low frequency band components from diplexers 34 and 36are applied to a low frequency band balun 42, whereas the high frequencycomponents from each of the diplexers are applied to the inputs of ahigh frequency band balun 44.

The output of the low frequency band balun 42 is a single-ended lowfrequency signal 45, whereas the output of the high frequency band balunis a single-ended high frequency signal 46. These single-ended lowfrequency and high frequency signals are applied to a diplexer 48, whichcombines the outputs of baluns 42 and 44 to supply the full bandwidthunbalanced output. Thus the bal-plex balun 20 of FIG. 3A in oneembodiment is configured as illustrated in 4A.

Alternatively, when operated in the reverse direction to convert anunbalanced input to a balanced output and as illustrated in FIG. 4B,unbalanced input 30 is applied to diplexer 48, which divides up theunbalanced input signal into a single-ended low frequency signal 45 anda single-ended high frequency signal 46. The outputs of the lowfrequency and high frequency band baluns 42 and 44 have low frequencyand high frequency components 38 and 40 coupled to the respective lowfrequency and high frequency inputs to diplexers 34 and 36. Thesediplexers combine the outputs of baluns 42 and 44 into a full bandwidthbalanced output signal 32.

What is accomplished is to divide up an unbalanced input into upper andlower frequency bands, provide the balun function for these two bandsand combine them in one direction to provide a double bandwidth output;or to take a balanced input, dividing it up into the low and highfrequency bands and apply them to the low frequency band and highfrequency band baluns, after which the balun outputs are combined into adouble bandwidth unbalanced output.

The double bandwidth provides the 10:1 ratio such that for microwavefrequencies the bal-plex balun can operate from 2-20 GHz. The subjectinvention in one embodiment is a planar MMIC balun that has excellentperformance over this decade bandwidth of 2 to 20 GHz. This very wideperformance bandwidth is achieved with the combining of a 2 to 7 GHzspiral coupled line balun and a 6 to 20 GHz coupled line balun. Thesetwo compensated baluns are combined with each other using diplexer orother high pass-low pass filters to achieve the overall bandwidth. Inone embodiment, the diplexers are further simplified with the absorptionof filter elements into the balun input and output impedances.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the pass band for the bal-plex balun, whichincorporates the combined high band balun outputs and low band balunoutputs, is illustrated in terms of the amplitude or the magnitudetransfer function for the balun.

For the high band baluns, it is very clear that the pass band from 6Gigahertz up through 20 Gigahertz is relatively flat. From FIG. 4A it isnoted that the output terminal for the high and low frequency baluns islabeled 1, whereas their input terminals are respectively 2 and 3.

For the high-frequency band, the response is illustrated by curves A andA′. This shows a relatively flat response over the 3.5:1 bandwidth.

For the low frequency band, the response is illustrated by curves B andB′. It will be appreciated from the curves in FIG. 5 that what is shownis the main pass band for the low frequency band baluns. However, thereis an out-of-band response that is undesirable. Note, there is anout-of-band response peak X due to a peak at 12.5 GHz. These artifactsare illustrated by peaks X, peaks Y_(a) and Y_(b), and peak Z.

It can be shown that this undesirable result can be eliminated by havinga diplexer of sufficient selectivity that the responses shown in FIG. 5are filtered out. Thus if one chooses the diplexers with appropriatefrequency responses, one can eliminate the out-of-band artifacts.

Referring now to FIG. 6, what is shown is an equivalent circuit for adiplexer, for instance diplexer 48, showing ideal inductors andcapacitors for the simplest type of diplexer circuit.

It is noted that the diplexer function is to provide both high band andlow band signals. Here an input 30 is coupled to a low pass filter 64comprised of inductors 50 and 52 and capacitor 54, with capacitor 54coupled between the junction of inductors 50 and 52 to ground. Thehigh-pass section of this diplexer is comprised of capacitors 56 and 58,with an inductor 60 coupled between the junction between thesecapacitors and ground. This high pass filter is shown at 66.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in one implementation of the subject bal-plexbalun, it is possible to eliminate the diplexers and replace them withhigh and low pass filters, as illustrated. The circuit of FIG. 7eliminates the diplexer in FIG. 6 by supplying two equivalent high passand low pass filters, while at the same time providing an LC circuit, aportion of which includes an inductor 82, which is a part of the lowpass filter at the output. Note that the diplexer at the outputs ofbaluns 42 and 44 is replaced with a low pass filter at the output ofbalun 42, including inductor 82, whereas the high frequency band comesdirectly out of balun 44. As will be seen, the high band and low bandsare combined at 84 to provide a full bandwidth output 26.

The elimination of the diplexers is accomplished through a microwavedesign called parasitic absorption, where some of the behavior of thecircuit is implicit in the circuit that one wants to match with.

Note that in terms of the output circuit, parasitic absorption resultsin only a single inductor, namely inductor 82. Thus, out of the sixoriginal components, five of them have been eliminated because ofpre-existing behavior in the low band and high band baluns. Thus, for abalanced input, the diplexers that would normally be utilized toseparate out the signals into a high frequency band and a low frequencyband are replaced with circuit elements constituting a low pass filterand a high pass filter, here respectively 64 and 66.

Note that the pair of low pass filters 64 is comprised of inductors 70and 72 and capacitors 74 and 76, whereas the pair of high pass filters66 is comprised of capacitors 78 and 80. Note also that inductors 70 and72 are series inductors, which are part of the low pass filterstructure, with capacitors 74 and 76 acting as shunt capacitors.

Likewise for the high pass filters 66, capacitors 78 and 80 beingseries-oriented are high-pass elements and are part of the high passfilter structure that duplicates the high pass side of the diplexergoing into the high frequency band balun 44.

As a result, the two diplexers that are used at the front end of thebal-plex balun are simplified with this methodology.

The output of the bal-plex balun substitutes for the diplexer associatedwith the output of a simplified circuit using only one low pass element,inductor 82. This element indicates a simplified equivalent circuit forthe low pass behavior.

It is noted that in FIG. 8, in which the bal-plex magnitude for each ofthe high frequency band and low frequency band components has anamplitude response that tracks very closely between the two sides of thebalun, namely over a decade bandwidth extending from about 2 Gigahertzto 20 Gigahertz. Thus, what is shown in the FIG. 8 graph is a goodamplitude pass band response over a decade bandwidth.

With respect to the bal-plex phase graph of FIG. 9, it will be seen thatthere is good 180-degree out-of-phase response for each of the balancedoutputs in which, for the same signal, the phase of the two divided-outsignals track in phase such that the signals are very close to beingexactly 180 degrees out of phase.

Referring now to FIG. 10, in one embodiment of a MMIC that performs abal-plex function there is a spiral coupled Marchand-type low band balun42, which functions between 2 and 7 Gigahertz, comprised of spiral lines3 and 4 and spiral lines 5 and 6, with coupling 13 between the lines 4and 5, corresponding to the corresponding components illustrated in FIG.2.

The high frequency band balun is comprised of lines 3 and 4 and lines 5and 6 corresponding to the corresponding components illustrated in FIG.2 to give a coupled line balun with 6 to 20 Gigahertz high frequencybandwidth. Note that like reference characters correspond to likeelements between FIGS. 2 and 10. Note also that spiral lines 102 and 104correspond to inductor 50 of FIG. 6, and likewise to inductors 70 and 72in FIG. 7. Capacitors 106 and 108 correspond to capacitor 54 in FIG. 6,and likewise to capacitors 74 and 76 in FIG. 7. Here, capacitors 78 and80 and inductor 82 correspond to the equivalent capacitors and inductorin FIG. 7. Note that line 3 in FIG. 10 is grounded at ground 15 for thehigh frequency band, whereas line 6 is grounded at ground 8 for theother side of the high frequency band balun. Note that capacitor 112 isa large-area capacitor that provides RF grounding to all frequencies ofinterest. If biasing is required for preamplifiers or otheramplification stages coupled to the bal-plex balun, DC coupling isprovided from bias point 114 to 23.

While the present invention has been described in connection with thepreferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understoodthat other similar embodiments may be used or modifications or additionsmay be made to the described embodiment for performing the same functionof the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, thepresent invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, butrather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitationof the appended claims.

1. A wide bandwidth microwave balun, comprising: a high frequency balunoperating in a high frequency band; a low frequency balun operating in alow frequency band; a switchless circuit for dividing an input signalinto a high frequency component and a low frequency component coupled tosaid high and low frequency baluns; and, a switchless combiner coupledto said high frequency balun and said low frequency balun for providinga full bandwidth output to offer wide bandwidth impedance matching andsecond-harmonic rejection.
 2. The balun of claim 1, wherein said highfrequency balun and said low frequency balun include balanced inputs,wherein said circuit for dividing an input signal into a high frequencycomponent and a low frequency component includes a low pass filter and ahigh pass filter having respective outputs containing said highfrequency and low frequency components coupled to balanced inputs ofrespective high frequency and low frequency baluns.
 3. The balun ofclaim 2, wherein said filters include a pair of diplexers, each coupledto a different balanced input line, with the outputs of said diplexerscontaining said high frequency and low frequency components.
 4. Thebalun of claim 1, wherein said low frequency balun includes asingle-sided low frequency signal output, wherein said high frequencybalun includes a single-ended high frequency signal output, and whereinsaid combiner combines the single-ended low frequency signal from saidlow frequency balun and the single-ended high frequency signal from saidhigh frequency balun to produce an unbalanced full bandwidth signaloutput.
 5. The balun of claim 4, wherein said combiner includes adiplexer.
 6. The balun of claim 5, wherein said diplexer has two inputs,one input connected to said single-ended low frequency signal and theother of said inputs coupled to said single-ended high frequency signal.7. The balun of claim 6, wherein said diplexer includes an unbalancedoutput.
 8. The balun of claim 1, wherein said input signal is unbalancedand wherein said circuit for dividing said unbalanced input signalincludes a filter for dividing said unbalanced input into two frequencybands, including a single-ended low frequency signal in one band and asingle-ended high frequency signal in the other of said bands.
 9. Thebalun of claim 8, wherein said single-ended low frequency signal andsaid single-ended high frequency signal are coupled to the unbalancedinput of respective low frequency and high frequency baluns.
 10. Thebalun of claim 9, wherein said low frequency balun and said highfrequency balun have balanced outputs, the balanced output of said highfrequency balun and said low frequency balun including a high frequencycomponent and a low frequency component, and wherein said high frequencycomponent and said low frequency component from said high frequency andlow frequency baluns are combined to provide one full bandwidth signal.11. The balun of claim 10, wherein said combiner includes a pair ofdiplexers.
 12. The balun of claim 8, wherein said filter includes adiplexer.
 13. The balun of claim 1, wherein said high frequency and lowfrequency baluns have balanced inputs, wherein said input signal isbalanced, and wherein said circuit for dividing said balanced inputsignal includes a low pass filter connected between said balanced inputand the balanced input of said low frequency balun, and a high passfilter coupled between said balanced input and the balanced input ofsaid high frequency balun.
 14. The balun of claim 13, wherein said lowpass filter includes an LC circuit.
 15. The balun of claim 13, whereinsaid high pass filter includes a capacitor.
 16. The balun of claim 13,wherein the output of said low frequency balun is coupled to the outputof said high frequency balun through a low pass filter.
 17. The balun ofclaim 16 wherein said low pass filter coupled to the output of said lowfrequency balun includes an inductor.
 18. The balun of claim 1, whereinsaid low frequency balun includes two pairs of spiral-wound linesconnected so as to provide a Marchand balun.
 19. The balun of claim 18,wherein said high frequency balun includes two pairs of lines to form aMarchand balun.
 20. A method for providing a wide bandwidth microwavebalun, comprising the steps of: switchless coupling an input signalsplit into a high frequency band and a low frequency band respectivelyto a high frequency balun and a low frequency balun; and, switchlesscombining the outputs of the high frequency and low frequency baluns toprovide a full bandwidth output and a wide bandwidth impedance matchingfunction, whereby the bandwidth of the high frequency balun is added tothe bandwidth of the low frequency balun to provide a full bandwidthcombining the bandwidths of the high frequency balun and the lowfrequency balun.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the bandwidth ofthe balun has a 10:1 ratio.